A Year Abroad Blog

October 2, 2017October 2, 2017

A Weekend of Food

This weekend I was lucky enough to have my mum and step-dad fly over for a visit! Although I’ve only been here just under 4 weeks, it was so lovely to see them and be able to show them around the city now that I know it a little better (Google Maps did help at times!). We must have been owed some luck in the weather department since it rained most of the time when they came over to help me move in, however on Saturday it was absolutely beautiful, and thankfully Sunday managed to hold off the rain for most of the day.

Cheers!

On Saturday, we did a lot of walking, had breakfast in Hackescher Markt, beers (a Fanta for me since I was extremely hungover) in Alexanderplatz’s Oktoberfest bar, a late lunch in Kreuzberg and dinner in Charlottenburg. Sunday led us to Mauer Park Flea Market after a huge brunch near Schlachtensee Lake and we ended the weekend with an Italian dinner in Friedrichshain! Looking at what we’d done over the two days, I thought it best to note down some of the great food places we visited; clearly we are a family that likes to eat!

Breakfast platter for 2 and Pancakes

Gabana (Breisgauer Str. 12, 14129)

Gabana is a little far out if you’re in the centre of Berlin, but if by any chance you’re further west or near Schlachtensee Lake, then definitely pay it a visit!
We arrived at Gabana around 12pm but they were still serving breakfast (win!). Although the waitress spoke very little English, she was polite and helpful and the service was extremely quick!

My mum and Dan ordered one of the many breakfast platters which included: bread rolls, salmon, scrambled egg, pigs in blankets, mini steak bites, various cheeses, parma ham, spam and salami. According to Dan the freshly squeezed orange juice was lovely too!

I opted for the pancakes; they came doused in maple syrup and with the pleasant surprise of fresh fruit on top (mango, pineapple and banana). I also got a hot chocolate that was amazing!

Price wise, I thought the experience in the Moroccan decor themed restaurant/bar was great, the service fast and friendly, plus the food was delicious! So all in all, definitely worth the price; the platter was 9.50 € per person, and my pancakes were 6€.

Pancakes with fresh fruit

Anda Lucia TapasBar & Restaurant (Savignypl. 2, 10623 Berlin)

We ventured to the Charlottenburg area of Berlin for dinner, and found AndaLucia Tapas Bar and Restaurant about a 2 minute walk from Savingyplatz station.
We decided to go for a Vegetarian Paella and some Patatas Bravas, Calamari and Chorizo (for the meat eaters).

We sat outside as they had a lovely seating area with heaters and blankets, and the atmosphere was buzzy and fun, also apparently they normally have live music playing in the evenings so I will be going back to enjoy that soon!

The waiters were friendly and patient with us attempting to order in German, and the food was fab- I do love a good Paella that doesn’t kill you with salt. Ps- the cocktails are fully loaded with alcohol, so prepare yourself.

Unfortunately after a full day exploring my phone had run out of battery so I was unable to take pictures of the lovely food, but you’ll just have to take my word for it that it was all tasty!

Feta & Fries

Taverna Athene (Tempelhofer Ufer 12, 10963 Berlin)

We had lunch at this road side restaurant in Kreuzberg, but don’t let the location by the road put you off because the food was mouth watering!

We made a huge tapas style order of Greek food at this restaurant, including: pittas, tatzkiki, olives, feta and fries, feta puff pastry pockets! I think myself and my mum were in a feta mood…

Again, the waiters were chatty, patient with us in speaking German, and even gave us free shots! The menu was endless and offered some delicious treats so if you’re a fan of Greek food then 100% visit this street corner restaurant.

Eyes bigger than our stomachs…

Restaurant Trattoria Portofino (Gubener Str. 48, 10243 Berlin)

This restaurant was a fantastic little find- thanks to the Google Maps ‘explore food and drinks’ tab. We visited on a Sunday evening around 6pm and the place was already buzzing and full, so we sat outside with blankets!

The whole menu was fairly priced; pizza and pasta dishes were around 7-9€ each and you really got your money’s worth in terms of size and taste! Obviously I went for the Vegetarian pizza, whilst Mum and Dan ordered glorious meat laden ones; I’ll admit even as a veggie that they looked good.

The waiters were accommodating and speedy with service, so I’ll be returning here soon as well! Also, it’s situated just off of a busy main road but seems like you’re in small suburban heaven down a cobbled street!

Veggie Pizza for the win!

Now we’re done with some of the great places we dined at, here’s some snaps from the rest of the weekend, including stalls at Mauer Park Flea Market…